Goofy horse

[Kyra's Mom]

.I knew I should have taken my crutches to the barn BEFORE my foot surgery. Poor Kyra is just beside herself and cannot figure out my extra aluminum legs. She was that way on my previous foot surgery and yep...she still is.

I went out today to meet the trimmer to pay her. Kyra was being totally chill and compliant for Julie until I got out of the car and came hopping over to her. Snort, bug eyes...at least Julie wasn't under her.
Julie untied her and had some treats so I was finally able to get her to take a couple steps toward me and pat her nose. I let Julie get back to work and went and leaned/sat on the hood of my car and we talked a bit more. Then I decided to go back give her a farewell pat but hella NO! Snort, pull back (mildly), jump over the hoof stand. Oh for gosh sakes, I was only about 15 feet from them when I was leaning on the car. Apparently that is the line in the sand. I went back and got in my car so Julie could finish her feet and she started to relax although she was still riveted on what I was doing.

One just sometimes wonders what is going on in their little pea brains. I certainly have never accosted her with crutches and I have owned her since she was 22 months old (she is now 17)???

Gotta love them. Hopefully only 3-4 more weeks with the extra "legs".

Susan

[Chisamba]

The awkwardness perhaps? Hope you heal well

[Kyra's Mom]

No Chisamba...it seems to be the crutches themselves. I did a lot of desensitizing and jumping around when she was younger. Heck, I've been know to fall on my butt nearly under her (doing in-hand work but not very well ) and that hasn't bothered her.

I really intended to do a little desensitization before my surgery but I didn't make it to the barn very often and then remembered when I got there, with the crutches at home.
Oh well, this phase will pass and I can't wait. It is hard hefting my poor decrepit body around on one foot. Tomorrow is 3 weeks...then 3 more weeks until I get to go into a boot. Nika (Straightforward) is lunging her a couple times then I am going to turn that chore over to one of the teenagers at the barn to get her out of her pen and a bit of exercise a couple times a week. It doesn't do me much good to go out when I can't get near her.

Susan

[Moutaineer]

I've had several horses over the years that were freaked out by crutches. I thought Laddie would be a problem when our trainer was on them last year, but after a bit of a snort, he settled down pretty well.

I hope you are healing well and will finally get the chance to ride in comfort this year!

[Flight]

Mine hated it when I came into the paddock with one crutch after my ACL surgery! So, I had to ditch the crutch to feed them. Fortunately I was ok without it if I went really slowly.
Funny creatures. Hope you have a speedy recovery and your foot is good soon.

[Abby Kogler]

Oh man! I feel your pain, literally. After 7 foot rebuilds in as many years you would think the boys would be used to the crutches. Nope!

This time we bought a wheelchair and Jurgen would four wheel me over to the barn and My God you would have thought it was an alien spaceship landing in the arena. The bug eyes, the helicopter heads, the snorts and pronks, it was hilarious. Poor lambs! George was the only one I could stump up to in the turnout on my crutches. He always seemed so happy to see me that he didn't seem to care about my weird profile and walk. The others omg!

That said I actually stewarded once on crutches and I don't remember any of the horses being troubled by me stumping around the grounds. One rider came up to me the next day and said her horse spooked in the arena when I went by 100 yards away. I felt terrible but am not sure I was responsible. Maybe at shows horses are just so used to things being Not Quite Right so they didn't care, but at home, The Mom! What is eating her?!

Good luck with your recovery! Foot stuff is miserable and endlessly so. My late Sept surgery went sour and I had another in late Oct and then another late Dec. I am still lame but am in workboots and able to get around fairly well. If I have to go through this again I am going to follow Robin Breukmans example and take it off and go for a prosthetic. I have had it.

[Kyra's Mom]

Well, I guess she isn't such a speshul flower after all. They just can't seem to process the extra legs?

Abby, I am so sorry you are having such issues but I have talked to my mother about such things. I am of fairly similar thinking regarding endlessly trying to fix things. I hope this turns out OK but I was fairly lame all the time...especially on uneven ground = horse activities = bummer. So far so good except for the mightily uncomfortable cast.
My foot is either swollen with pressure or the cast is loose and sitting on the incisions (a different kind of pressure) . I get the stitches out and a new one tomorrow unless I can talk them into a boot (which is unlikely).

I will probably try to go out and see Kyra Sunday. I will take treats and stay on the outside of her pen. Maybe the gate will somewhat camouflage the crutches?

Susan

[piedmontfields]

Susan, it is good to hear an update from you, scary extra leg and all!

I remember when I broke my wrist and had a weird splint that I needed to spend some time explaining the scary creature on my arm to the little mare...especially when I wrapped it in plastic to groom/bathe ! What's funny is that a friend of mine later visited us with a cast on her arm and the mare seemed to remember what kind of thing it was, as she smelled the cast and then went directly to my old injury (no longer in anything) and took a deep inhale. They are funny creatures!

[heddylamar]

Silly mare!

Neither of mine cared about the bright orange cast on my arm (or the black one ... or the other orange one), but one of their barn mates, a normally calm gelding was all snorty and wild eyed.

Maia has slammed into my casts on several occasions, and then looks at me like "why did you hit me?!"

[LeoApp]

Horses! Back in 1998 and 1999 I donated my horse to be used for the Paralympics. There were people in wheelchairs, crutches, etc all around him. He never batted an eye. I had only had him for one year when I donated him. I was such a beginner and never even thought something like that might spook him. But he was a champ. He wasn't afraid of anything. Best. Horse. Ever.